Hockey Handicapping Articles

Nashville Predators vs Carolina Hurricanes NHL Playoff Series Predictions
by Doc's Sports - 5/17/2021

Oh, how the tables have turned. The Nashville Predators had a great run of form from the 2016-17 season where they went to the Cup Finals only to lose to Pittsburgh in six games. They followed that up with back-to-back division titles, but since then it’s been nothing but misfortune for the Predators despite reaching the playoffs in both last year and this season.

Minnesota Wild vs Vegas Golden Knights NHL Playoff Series Predictions
by Doc's Sports - 5/15/2021

This first-round matchup between the Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights could easily be the hardest series to predict. Why? Well because the Golden Knights finished second overall in the entire league – level with Colorado for most points – and second in the division, seven points up on Minnesota, yet they actually have a losing record against the Wild. Yes, Vegas finished the regular-season series against the Wild with just a 3-5 record, which is absurd given how dominant they were at times this season. Hockey has a funny way of evening out the playing surface as we’ve seen time and time again; a certain team just having another team’s number.

2021 NHL West Division Predictions
by Chris Vasile - 1/4/2021

If you’re a fan of old-school hockey and love watching 2-1 games every single night, the NHL’s newly-minted West Division might be the division for you. Outside of the Avalanche, who boast elite talent up and down the lineup, this division figures to be extremely low scoring amongst the other six teams in the division. For starters, you have three of the top six teams from last year in respect of goals-against average and four of the top-13 teams, with Vegas sitting 13th.

2021 NHL East Division Predictions
by Chris Vasile - 1/4/2021

If I was a fan of any team in the league, I would be extremely worried about making the playoffs in the NHL’s newly minted East Division as this division is perhaps the strongest and will be the most competitive division from start to finish. Right off the bat, you have a Boston team who checks in as the favorites to win the division. And in a shortened season, this veteran squad could get hot at the right time and make another deep playoff run.

2021 NHL Central Division Predictions
by Chris Vasile - 1/4/2021

The NHL’s newly minted Central Division is a collection of teams that have either tasted success recently or been on the wrong end of a hard-fought playoff series. For starters, you have the Lightning, who are the defending Cup Champions at the expense of the Dallas Stars, who also find themselves in the Central Division. The Hurricanes are two seasons removed from competing in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Bruins, only to be swept 4-0.

2021 North Division Predictions
by Chris Vasile - 1/4/2021

As I was preparing to write this intro, I listed off a bunch of words that I could use to describe what an all-Canadian division is going to be like. The word that stuck out the most to me was “intense”. Not only does each Canadian team play each other nine or 10 times, they do so with such geographical rivalries that only a few teams are familiar with.

New York Rangers vs Carolina Hurricanes NHL Series Odds and Expert Predictions
by Chris Vasile - 7/28/2020

The goal for these preview pieces is to help inform you/remind you which team has the edge on both ends of the rink. I fully acknowledge the fact that because of the weird circumstances and the whole “bubble” thing with no real home-ice advantage, the stats before the lockdown and after the restart may not look similar at all. Teams will be rusty, and I expect teams to be a bit cautious as to how they attack the play-in round as they know one bad game could be the end of the line for them.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Columbus Blue Jackets NHL Series Odds and Expert Predictions
by Chris Vasile - 7/28/2020

This series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets figures to be one of the most-watched play-in series the NHL has to offer. On one side of the coin, you have the Blue Jackets, who were in a battle for a wild-card spot before the league shut down, and then you have the Leafs, who were three points up on the Panthers for the final divisional spot in the Atlantic. Both of these teams have to like their chances of winning this round and advancing, but only one can do so.

NHL All-Star Game Predictions and Expert Betting Picks
by Doc's Sports - 1/24/2020

This year, the NHL All-Star game will take place on Saturday January 25, 2020, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. This will be the NHL's 65th edition of the showcase but just the fifth under the newest format, which pits the Atlantic Division against the Metropolitan and the Central against the Pacific, for the right to battle in the finals for a payout of a cool $1 million.

NHL Division Winner Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 12/19/2019

The playoff format the NHL has used these last few years has no shortage of flaws. It's dumb, really. But one positive it does have is that it makes the divisional races much more interesting than they are in the NBA. Where you finish in your division really matters. A lot. Too much. So, as we near the short Christmas break in the league, it's a good time to check in on how these races are breaking down.

NHL Betting Advice: Value Teams Better than Record
by Trevor Whenham - 12/11/2019

We are more than a third of the way into the NHL season. The sample size is large enough that we probably know what most teams are. When you look at the standings, though, it is striking how many teams aren't what their record suggests they are. Edmonton, Arizona and the Islanders are all teams that could easily be accused of overachieving and putting up numbers they will struggle to match in the second half of the schedule.

Expert NHL Handicapping and Betting Advice: Home and Road Splits
by Trevor Whenham - 12/6/2019

There is no better indicator in the NHL - at not one you can see in a glance - of a team in the NHL that has some issues that they need to resolve if they want to have any real success than a gap in performance on the road compared to at home. Winning on home ice is easier than on the road for reasons both real - like having the last line change - and psychological.

Expert Hockey Betting Advice: Which Team is Poised for Post-Holiday Turnaround?
by Trevor Whenham - 11/27/2019

There is a theory in NHL circles that if a team is not in a playoff position by Thanksgiving, then they are in real trouble. It's more than a theory, really - it's a pretty solid trend. In the five years prior to last season, 62 of the 80 teams that had been in a playoff spot as people sat down to gorge themselves on turkey were still there when the season ended so many months later. That's a 77.5 percent rate. Last year, things were just a little off of that pace, as 11 of the 16 playoff teams were in those spots in November.

NHL Betting Advice for the Best and Worst Teams for Wagering Profits
by Trevor Whenham - 11/20/2019

We are a quarter of the way through the NHL season, give or take. Some things have turned out as expected - the Bruins and Capitals are as strong as expected, and the Blues have kept rolling after their stellar second half and Cup win last year. But there are several results that aren't living up to expectations.

Expert NHL Handicapping: Making Sense Of These Crazy Playoffs
by Trevor Whenham - 5/1/2019

The NHL Playoffs have just been bizarre this year. All four division leaders were out in the first round, which means that all four wild card teams advanced. Three of those wild card teams are in decent shape to win another series. One of the division winners, Tampa Bay, had a regular season that was historically great, and they were very solid Stanley Cup favorites, but they were the first team sent packing in the playoffs. Six of the nine teams that had 100 points in the regular season lost in their opening series, and two more are trailing now.

What's Next for Tampa Bay Lightning After Epic Playoff Collapse?
by Trevor Whenham - 4/24/2019

The NHL Playoffs have been absolutely bizarre so far, and the first round isn't even over yet. For the first time ever, both regular-season conference winners failed to survive the first round - and they played only nine games between them. Calgary's demise was shocking enough - and very hard to take as a Calgarian, let me tell you.

Presidents' Trophy Winners Have Struggled to Achieve Stanley Cup Glory
by Trevor Whenham - 4/1/2019

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been a good team over long stretches of time and have won a Stanley Cup in 2004, but they have never won a Presidents' Trophy for having the most points in the NHL. Until now, that is - and they have certainly made up for lost time. They haven't just won the Trophy this year - they have made a mockery of the race.

Expert NHL Handicapping: Is Tampa Bay One of All-Time Great Teams?
by Trevor Whenham - 3/28/2019

The Tampa Bay Lightning are having a truly incredible season by any measure. With five games left to play, they have 122 points and 59 wins. With three more wins, they would tie the 1996 Detroit Red Wings for the most wins in a season. And if they run the table, they would tie the 1977 Montreal Canadiens for the most points in a season. And they are 21 points ahead of the Bruins and Flames, tied for second overall. This is a truly historic season, and we are lucky to be watching it.

Expert NHL Handicapping: Calgary Flames True Contender?
by Trevor Whenham - 3/14/2019

The Calgary Flames are an odd story this year. A tough team that is tough to get a sense of. Heading into this season they were seen as a contender in the Western Conference - but they were contending to make the playoffs, if they were lucky, and probably not much more.

NHL Betting Advice: Best and Worst Wagering Teams for Moneyline Bettors
by Trevor Whenham - 3/4/2019

We are more than three-quarters of the way through the NHL regular season, so we largely know what can be expected of teams from a betting perspective. We know what teams are by now. And that is obviously much more flattering for some teams than others. It's a good time to check in with our betting Studs and Duds - the teams that have been most kind to bettors, and those that have burned piles of money.